Improvement in locks



NITED STATES RANDOLPH S. FOSTER, OF SING SING,

NEV YORK` ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,

CORNELIUS WALSH, AND JOHN C. NOBLES.-

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,00S, dated-June 23, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RANDOLPH S. FOSTER, of Sing Sing, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double Bolt and Key Door-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of the lock. Fig. 2 represents the interior-of the lock, one of the side plates being removed for that purpose. Fig. 3 represents the two keys used in the lock. Fig. 4 represents the hub and key-slot for the upper key and bolt. Fig. 5 represents the hub and key-slot for the lower key and bolt. Fig. 6 represents the bit-plates with their several openings.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur-in the several figures, denote like parts of the lock in all cases.

This invention consists in the use of two keys and two bolts, but with one set of bitplates only, each key acting independently on the bit-plates to arrange them for the throwing of its own bolt, as will be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings.

A is the upper, and B the lower, bolt. The upper bolt is thrown back by the key C, and when released is shot out by a spring, D, behind it. The lower bolt is shot out of and into the lock-case by the key E, which first arranges the bit-plates for that purpose, and then through its turning-hub works the bolt, as will be hereinafter explained. The bitplates F, four in number, (but of course any other number may be used without affecting the invention,) extend from the lower bolt, B, to about the upper bolt, A, and have three sets of openings in them-viz., GHI, of which those G I have branches a b extending from them, through which, when arranged, a stud must pass to allow the necessary movements to take place to throw the bolts, the other opening, H, being rectangular and allowing ofthe upward movement of the bit-plates and preventing them from moving beyond a certain point in the contrary direction. The bitplates have each a spring, c, the points of which bear against a stud, cl, and tend to throw down the said plates from the elevated position into which the key or keys may raise them. rIhe key-slots c e for each of the keys are formed partially in their respective hubs J K, and partially in the lock-case itself, the said hubs turning with their keys, and, by means of projections ff on them, which take into notches g g in the bolts, move said bolts. To draw in the upper bolt, A, the key C is inserted and turned around, which also turns its hub J. The bits 1 2 3 4 of the key arrange the curved slot-s b of the bit-plates in line, so that the stud It on the hub may enter them. The projection f on the hub takes against the shoulder t' of the bolt and moves it back, where it will remain until the key is turned around the other way, when the spring D acts and shoots it out again. To operate the lower bolt, B, the key E is inserted and turned around, which also turns its hub K. The keybits 5 6 7 8 arrange the bit-plates F so as to bring the openings ct therein all in line, and then the projection f, taking into adepression, z', in the bolt, moves out the bolt, its stud k passing through the slots a. By continuing to turn the key its bits leave the bit-plates, and then the springs 0 move down the bitplates, and the stud k, as shown in Fig. 2, locks the bolt out until the bit-plates are rearranged by the key, when a reverse operation will draw back the bolt again.

It is obvious that both keys cannot be used -at one and the same time. When one is used,

the other should be taken out. For the lower bolt the key-hole and slot may be at both sides of the lock, so that the key may be entered from either side; but for the upper bolt it may be on one side only-as, for instance, like a .night-latch, where a key is used only from the outside of the door.

By the use of the hub I can make a very slender and light key serve the lpurpose of moving the bit-plates, because it is strengthened by the hub, which protects all but the ends of the key-bits, and thus shortening their leverage admits of their being delicately made; and by using a delicate key the key# slot is so small that a piek cannot be inserted its own key, the bit-plates F, common to both in it that would have the strength to force the bolts und both keys in the manner and for lock. the purpose herein described.

Havinv thus fully described the nature and Q object oft-this invention, what I claim therein RANDOLPH S' FOMTER' as new s c Witnesses:

Combining with two bolts in one and the STEPHEN R. HAINEs, same locken-se, each boit operated upon by JOHN C. NOBLES. 

